Firs of Prey - Keep The Lions Asleep

Keep the Lions Asleep, the second album from Firs of Prey (AKA Andrew Miller of Datura Blues) basks in the glow of a West Coast sunray—odd, given the dichotomy of sunshine-y folk-pop harmonies being augmented by a falsetto that Nick Drake might gush over. Represented by small local label BPBS Arts and Media Collective, Firs of Prey's minimalist approach takes on the form of a CD-R disc with no titles provided, but track number four might range as the pinnacle of the collection, snipping Beach Boys arpeggio and flattening it with the drone of a grumpy organ. Track five sounds like it's playing out of a gramophone, a compliment that, as vinyl buffs can attest, means something warm and raw and great. RYAN J. PRADO - Portland Mercury